Council accident claim 'reckless'

Suggestions that speed cameras have no part to play in road safety are "reckless," according to the RAC.

It comes after the leader of Swindon Borough Council recently said that figures on accident and speed-offences are a vindication of the decision to remove speed cameras.

Figures released from the council show that between August and October 2009, just 1,333 drivers received prosecution notices.

In the same period in 2008, when fixed-point cameras were still in place in the Wiltshire town, the figure was 2,777.

In addition to the penalty notices, the figures show, that there was one fatal accident on the roads covered by the cameras in 2008, whereas in the same period in 2009, there were none.

There were four slight-injury accidents in August-October 2008 compared with two serious-injury and four slight-injury accidents in August-October 2009.

The council's leader Rod Bluh told the Daily Mail: "These figures clearly show there is no link between accidents and cameras."

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: "The town's experience seems to offer absolutely no statistical assurance that fixed speed cameras do not contribute to preventing death and injury on the nation's roads."